As the weather gets warmer we naturally turn to summer salads and light vegetable dishes. Not only are many fruits and vegetables at their most plentiful at this time of year, but they’re also at their most flavorful.
A fridge packed with delicious fruits and veggies will not only help you keep that summer bikini body, but it will also do wonders for your skin. Here are 5 fruits and vegetables that will help keep your skin looking fabulous.
5 Foods To Keep Your Skin Young and Healthy
Sweet Potato
This delicious vegetable is good for your body because it helps lower cholesterol, but it is even better for your skin. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, which produces vitamin A, the nutrient essential to keeping skin and eyes clear and healthy[1]. Sweet potatoes are also packed with vitamin C, iron, calcium and fiber, and they are incredibly versatile to cook with.
Bell Pepper
Red, orange, yellow or green, all bell peppers deliver a daily dose of antioxidants and vitamin C[2]. Vitamin C helps repair the skin’s collagen and protects against damage form free radicals. The redder the pepper, the more mature and ripe it is, so orange and red peppers have higher concentrates of these essential nutrients.
Tomato
Tomatoes contain lots of lycopene, the carotene pigment that gives them their bright red color. Research has shown that lycopene actually provides UV protection; in effect lycopene acts as a mild natural sunscreen[3]. Beacause cooking tomatoes actually increases the concentration of lycopene, you’ll find even more goodness in a bowl of soup or pasta sauce. Tuck in!
Cucumber
Cucumbers have been used for their anti-ageing effects for years. They contain high levels of natural ascorbic and caffeic acids that prevent water retention within the skin[4]. Most famous for reducing swelling around the eyes, cucumbers also help reduce inflammation of the skin, eczema and sunburn. And of course they taste delicious!
Avocado
Whether eaten or applied topically, avocados are nature’s gifts to the skin[5]. Containing a skin-loving blend of healthy fats, zero cholesterol, folic acid, vitamins B6, C and E avocado is all good. Cleansing, soothing, rehydrating and moisturizing, an avocado is a complete skin rejuvenation treatment in one. The only problem an avocado presents is the conundrum of whether to use it topically or to eat it.
By eating the right foods you’ll enjoy a healthier body and healthier skin.
By John Bone
[1] http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64
[2] http://www.livestrong.com/article/408875-the-best-vegetables-for-good-skin
[3] Edward Giovannucci, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 1995.
[4] http://www.naturalnews.com/035719_cucumbers_anti-aging_vegetables.html
[5] https://paradisegroveavocados.com/avocado-101/beauty
